As a solo practitioner, Yule can be as daunting and lonely as it can also be magical and uplifting. Practising a religion alone, even with the support of online communities such as Discord, Facebook and beyond, can be a real challenge. The inner fire of belief can burn low, it can sputter and go out, and it may need to be gently tended to in order to get it burning again.

However alone we can feel at this time of year, however alone we may be in practising our faith, we do so with a line of ancestors behind us with a vested interest in seeing us succeed and grow to the betterment of our families and communities. Whenever you reach those low moments in the dark of our minds or the dark of the world around us, remember they are there in support of you. Remember, you are never truly alone. There are thousands of people like you all over the world, feeling those same feelings and hoping for more, wondering if anyone else is looking up at those beautiful stars at night at the same time as them. Know that there is always someone else doing that, there is hope and the hope that comes to us at Yuletide is the return of blessed Sunne as she begins to come back into our lives for longer, offering us light, warmth and new life. Yule is the pinnacle of the winter period, it is Midwinter, the Solstice, the shortest day, and the day we must seize upon the opportunity to implore Sunne back into our lives and share her blessed gifts with us.

You don’t need to be with anyone else to do this, you just need to feel it in your heart and feel that shiver up your spine as you speak aloud or in your head to her. What follows is a simple Yule ritual for a solo practitioner and one that I intend to follow this year. Use it if you wish, read it if it comforts you. I wish you all a blessed Yule as we witness the re-birth of Sunne into our lives!

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Having washed and cleansed myself, I will wear warm, simple clothing and my decision this year is to complete the ritual outside in my orchard where a neat raised bank forms a semi-circle in the grounds I have with a beautiful canopy of evergreen trees above me, and bare birch trees rise skywards beyond that. My altar for this consists of a tree stump upon which will be a votive candle within a glass surround (To prevent it being blown out by any breeze!). If it is windy, I will instead bring a battery-powered lantern out to perform the same task. I intend to conduct the ritual at dawn on Yule morning. The candle or lantern will act as a light in the dusk and a focal point for the ritual.

Because the ritual is being conducted outside, I will first address the landwights to appeal to them not to interfere in the ritual and grant me grith (temporary truce) to allow me to proceed.

“Spirits of this land, I come to you in peace, unarmed and of true intent. I wish to petition the Gods and wish no ill upon you or this place. I beseech thee to allow me to continue and offer you this gift in exchange for griþ.”

I will then pour mead outside of the henge-bank area where I am to conduct my ritual, at each compass point. The significance of this is personal, and you may choose to simply pour some out anywhere upon the ground to signify the offering to the landwights.

I will then ward the area to be used for the ritual as a temporary sacred space by hallowing it with the flame of the votive candle or lantern repeating as I walk around the edges of it:

“Þunor-Hālgynghealdend (Hallowing Protector) I call to thee to make this place sacred and protect me and this area from those who would do us harm or have malign intent for the purposes of this ritual. Hail to thee, mighty Gumfrēong (Man-friend) and thank you, please accept this offering of mead in exchange for your blessing.”

I pour some mead into an offering cup for Þunor and place it upon the altar. The votive candle/lantern is also placed upon the altar at this point. I will then petition Nerþum-Þerscoldweard (Threshold Guardian) by taking a pinch of soil from the ground beneath me and holding it in my palm.

“Nerþum, Nerþum, Nerþum
Mother of Earth
Bringer of life
Keeper of the dead
You are both womb and tomb
Guardian of the threshold between life and death
I ask you to open the way between the worlds so that the Gods and the honoured dead may hear my entreaty
You are of me as I am of you
So I began as dust, so too will I end as such
I beseech thee to accept this offering of incense placed upon this altar in gratitude
Hail Nerþum, none may look upon your countenance and live, such is your beauty”

I light some incense upon the altar. I will now call again to the landwights, this time entreating those who wish to join me to do so if their intentions are true.

“Spirits of this land, I call to thee once more. We are at the heart of winter; the shortest day and this land is gripped in a deep slumber. If there are those among you who wish to join me in this petition, please do so if your intentions be true. Come join me in warmth and joy as I beseech fair Sunne to return to us.”

I will pour a second libation outside of the sacred space. Note well, this encourages the landwights to join you in your sacred space, but it is important to ONLY invite those of good intent. You will have hallowed the space, but the strength of landwights cannot be readily known and that may not prove sufficient if you invite ALL to join.

Now I will call to my ancestors.

“I call to the honoured dead. My family, my ancestors and those who have shown me love and care in this life but have passed to the Summerlands or to Hel’s Hall. I speak to you now, humbly, in sincere gratitude for the love and support you have shown to me, my children and my family. This is the shortest day and blessed Sunne is to be petitioned to return. I ask you to join me here, to support me further in that petition and to be joyful that Midwinter has arrived, and fairer days are to come. Accept this gift of mead, that I share with thee and may it provide warmth against the cold of death, some sweetness against the bitterness of the wind and some gold to signify the return of blessed Sunne”

I will then offer up my mead cup to the votive candle and take a sip for myself, sharing that moment with my ancestors.

Next will be my call to Wōden and my petition to Sunne herself.

“Hail Wōden Ādrysendlīc (Unquenchable/Inextinguishable)
I ask that you accept this offering in exchange for helping me to maintain the three fires within me – the fire of belief, the fire of inspiration and the fire of knowledge.
I ask that you continue to help me feed the flames with hope, perseverance and thirst respectively.
It is Yule and I seek to share my mead-cup with thee in gratitude for your presence in my life.
Hail to thee, and thank you.

Sunne-Feorhgiefu (Giver of Life), Sunne-Beorht-Cwēn (Bright Queen)!
Oh blessed lady, I beseech thee to return to us from whence you have gone!
Come back to us and shine down upon the earth again!
Come back to us and let us feel the warmth of your touch on our skin!
Yule is upon us, I make offering to you for your safe return
May your presence breathe life once more into the world around us.

I will then offer mead to both Wōden and Sunne and place the offering cup upon the altar. I will then bring my ritual to a close.

“Hail to the gods and the honoured dead and the land spirits here present. I am grateful for your listening ears and your time this morning.”

I will then pour any remaining mead upon the ground and state:

“From the gods and the honoured dead, to the earth and to me
From me to the earth, to the gods and the honoured dead
Gifts have been given, may they be well received

Hail fair Nerþum, that gives to all men. I call to you finally, Nerþum-Þerscoldweard and ask now that you close the way between the worlds and accept my gratitude for doing so.

May this hallowed site return to the use of all.”

I will extinguish the votive candle/lantern and reflect for a few moments before leaving.

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May you all have a blessed Yule. I hope anyone out there who has to celebrate Yule alone takes comfort in knowing that none of us are every truly alone, hold tight to those flames within.